Door latch



J. H. ROETHEL ,310,

DOOR LATCH Filed Jan. 22, 1940 IVEO A; is Ja h. vwzgez ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES 'ATENT OFFICE DOOR, LATCH John H. Roethel, Detroit, Mich. Application January 22, 1940, Serial No. 314,993

11 Claims. (Cl

This invention relates generally to door latches and particularly, although not exclusively, to latch devices adapted for use in connection with the doors of automobiles and other vehicles. The invention contemplates the provision of an improved device of this class including lock mechanism adapted to be installed upon the swinging door of the automobile or vehicle body, an improved striker mechanism cooperable with the latch bolt and adapted to be installed on the door post or pillar, and improved means associated with the latch bolt and striker mechanism for holding the door firmly in position against transverse and vertical movements during operation of the vehicle. An object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the above class or type which is relatively simple and compact in construction, economical to manufacture, durable and efficient in use and which in operation is also capable of providing an easy and relatively quiet closing door, a particularly important objective in connection with the steel doors of auto mobiles.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved latch bolt and striker device which in efficient and simple manner combines the functions heretofore accomplished in separate striker device and dovetail units and which in addition permits simplification of the latch bolt mechanism mounted upon the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved striker unit adapted to be mounted upon the body pillar or post and having a spring pressed striker member adapted normally to extend downwardly into the path of a longitudinally extending normally non-retractible latch bolt and adapted to be depressed or forced upwardly by the bolt, when the door is closed, thereby permitting the bolt to pass the striker and engage an inclined or tapered face thereof, firm and tight engagement of the bolt with the final locking step of the striker member being ensured under all conditions by means of yieldable wedgingmeans whereby the door is held rigidly against chattering or vibratory motion during operation-of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved latch bolt and striker device em,

bodying a normally non-retractible latch bolt, a vertically movable striker member adapted to project downwardly into the transverse path of movement of the bolt, and yieldable wedge means associated therewith and cooperable with the latch bolt and striker member to hold the door ing operation of the vehicle, the improved conagainst vertical and transverse movements dur- 5 5 tions struction being such as to provide a simple, compact and inexpensive mechanism producing an easy and quiet closing door which will be held firmly and positively under operating conditions of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a striker assembly adapted to be mounted on the body post or pillar and embodying a plurality of relatively movable spring pressed striker members mounted to extend generally vertically into the path of a normally stationary longitudinally extending latch bolt, said striker member providing successive safety and final locking poror steps effective .to hold the latch bolt in successive positions'whe'n the door is closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved striker assembly in which the yieldable striker member or members are adapted to slide vertically in the casingwhen engaged by the latch bolt during closing movement of the door, the striker member or'members moving in an arcuate path or paths, the improved construction being such that the striker members will be held firmly in latching position against retraction under any pressure exerted thereagainst by the bolt while at'the same 'time'the arrangement and mounting of the .strikermemhers is such as'to provide a very compact unit occupying a minimum of space.'

Still a further object of the invention'is to provide an improved assembly or 'devi'ce'of the foregoing character in hich' the door may be closed without slamming and with a minimum of eifort and quietness, making'it unnecessary to cause the bolt to retract by engagement 'withthe striker when closing the door and permitting the door to be readily opened by turning the handle to retract the bolt sufficiently to clear the striker memberormembers, thereby enabling the end of the latch bolt to .pass by the striker members as the doorispulled open.

Other objects offthis invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing .forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the 'severallview's.

' Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a,portion of an automobile body'l-in whichthe' present invention is incorporated in connection with a front door'thereof.

. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially through lines 2 10f Fig. 1 looking inthe directionof the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially through lines 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an inner face view, in elevation, illustrating a latch bolt unit.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially through lines 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken substantially through lines 66 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating certain modifications in the striker assembly.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

In the drawing there is illustrated, by way of example, certain embodiments of the present invention as applied to an autmobile body B having swinging doors D hinged at their remote edges so as to swing together against a common door post or body pillar in accordance with conventional practice, the mechanism of the present invention comprising a latch bolt device mounted upon the door and a striker device mounted upon the body pillar or door post at the jamb face of the door opening.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the striker device, which is mounted upon the fixed pillar or post of the body, comprises a backing plate 26 offset centrally to extend through an opening in the pillar jamb 2|, the ofiset portion providing upper and lower walls 26a and 2017, respectively, and the backing plate having upper and lower attaching flanges 20c lying against the outer face of the pillar jamb 2|. The striker device also comprises outer upper and lower face plate portions 22 and 23 which are spaced apart for the passage therebetween of the latch bolt and wedge member extending from the edge of the swinging door. The face plate portions 22 and 23 have countersunk holes for the reception of fastening screws 24 by which the striker or keeper assembly is attached to the J'amb 2|.

Within the upper casing formed by the members 22 and 26 are cooperating striker or keeper members 25 and 26 which are slidingly mounted within the casing. The striker or keeper member 25 is provided with curved or arcuate inner and outer upright edges 25a and 25b, and the ad- .iacent striker member 26 is provided with correspondingly curved or arcuate inner and outer upright edges 26a and 26b. The edge 25a of striker 25 engages and slides upon the correspondingly curved wall 21 formedfrom the backing plate 20. The remote edge 2% of striker 26 correspondingly engages and slides upon a similarly curved or arcuate wall 28 formed also from the backing plate 26. Moreover. in the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3, the adjacent striker or keeper members 25 and 26 bear against each other through contact of their adjacent curved edges 25b and 2511. It will be understood that the curved walls 27 and 28 of the casing and the curved edges of the striker members have the same radius and all extend in parallelism. Hence, the striker members may slide up and down Within the casing, one independently of the other, in curved paths corresponding to the curvature of the casing walls. A shown in Fig. 3, the striker member 25 is provided with an opening or slot 29 within which is housed a compression spring 30. The backing plate 2|! has a tongue 3| struck out from the metal thereof and carrying upper and lower rubber bumpers 32. The spring 30 is interposed between the fixed tongue or lug 3| of the casing and the bottom of a recess 33 in the striker member. Thus, upward movement of the striker member is opposed by the spring 30 which continuously urges the striker member toward its down position shown in Fig. 2. The striker member 26 is correspondingly yieldingly mounted through the medium of a compression spring 34 which is interposed between a struck-in lug or tongue or the backing plate, carrying rubber bumpers 35, and the bottom of a recess 36 in the striker member. The spring and bumper arrangements, and the mountings thereof, for the striker members 25 and 26 are identical with the exception that the spring 30 is preferably lighter than the spring 34.

The striker member 25 forms the safety step 'and the striker member 26 forms the final locking step for the latch bolt 37. The safety step 25 has a tapered or inclined edge 25c facing outwardly and an inner tapered locking face 25d. Correspondingly the final locking step 26 has tapered faces 26c and 26d. Thus, the lower projecting end of each striker member is wedge shaped, the

clearance space between the adjacent faces 25d and 260 being sufficient to prevent engagement of the striker member 26 with the upper edge of the bolt as shown in Fig. 2. The bolt 31 is adapted, as the door is closed, to engage the edge or face 25a and elevate the striker member 25 against the effort of the spring 30, and when the bolt passes the step 25 its inclined face 31a smoothly engages the correspondingly inclined face 251) of the locking step. As the bolt moves further inward it leaves the step 25 and engages the inclined face 26a of the step 26, elevating the latter against the eifort of its spring 34, and when the bolt passes this final locking step its inclined face 31a firmly and smoothly engages with a full bearing the correspondingly inclined final locking face 26b of the step 26. It will be seen that each striker member moves in an up and down path closely approximately a line perpendicular to the horizontal plane or path of movement of the bolt, but that the virtue of the curved walls the striker members are locked against being cammed upwardly by the bolt resulting from outward pressure thereof when the door is in closed position. By this construction a smooth easy action of the striker members is possible while at the same time they may be nested or arranged adjacently so as to occupy a minimum of space while providing a very simple and inexpensive construction.

The bottom casing formed between members 23 and 20 partially houses a wedge shaped slide block 38 which has a limited sliding movement upon the bottom inclined wall 20b of this casing. The rear end of the block has a hole or bore 39 within which is mounted a compression spring 49 which is interposed between the block and the back wall of the casing. The block is held within the casing and limited as to its outward movement through the medium of a tongue or flange 4! on the casing which extends into a notch or recess 42 in the block. The upper wall 38?) of the wedge block is exposed for engagement by-a wedge member 53 secured to the edge of the door at a point below but outwardly of the bolt 35. The dovetail wedge 43 has an inclined lower face 430. which rides upon the upper inclined face 381) of the slide block, and as the door is closed the wedge member 43 will, as it passes into the space between the upper and lower casings, force the block 38 inwardly against the action of the spring Gil, thus tending to lift the door and, through the cooperative action of the bolt 3'! against the face 261) of the striker step 25, clamping the door rigidly between the block 38 and the striker member 26. Since the block is continuously urged outwardly by its spring dd, thereby tending to raise the wedge member 43 by reason of the inclined wall 20b, any play between the bolt and striker face 2% when the latter is forced home to its lowermost position will be taken up by outward movement of wedge Thus, any play between the bolt and striker, which will cause rattling or chattering when the door vibrates vertically, will immediately be taken up and the door held tightly against vertical movement by the wedge 33 moving outwardly under the influence of the spring.

The embodiment of Fig. 7 is identical with that in Figs. 2 and 3 with the exception that there is interposed between the adjacent edges 25b and 26a of the two striker members a bearing wall 44 extending from the backing plate 25. The wall 44 is parallel to the walls 21 and 28 and provides a common bearing for the adjacent edges of the two striker members 25 and 25.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, the latch bolt device in this instance comprises a case plate 55 terminating at its outer edge in a lateral flange 45a having an opening through which slidingly extends the bolt 31, the dovetail wedge 43 being secured by screws to the flange l-a at a point just below and outwardly of the ho t 5'1. The case plate t5 has suitable screw bosses $513 by which it may be secured by screws to the inner lock panel of the door in the usual manner. The rear end of the bolt 31 is engaged by one end of a spiral return spring @5, the opposite end of the spring being anchored to the case plate by struck-out lugs. Riveted to the inner end of the bolt is a slide plate 4? having a horizontal guide slot i'la slidingly receiving a guide stud 43 riveted to the case plate. The latch device of Fig. 4 is designed for a front door of an automobile body so that the door may be locked with a key from the outside. ihe bolt is remotely controlled from the inner side of the door through the medium of a link #9 having a lost motion slot 58 through which extends a stud 5! secured to the inner side of the slide 41. The end of the remote control link is is connected to the inner door handle 52 in the usual manner. The outer door handle 53 has its shaft entered within a square opening 53a in the hub of a roll back 54 which engages a turned flange on the slide plate 41 so that by turning the handle 53 the roll back is partially rotated to retract the latch bolt 3'! independently of the inner door handle 52. The latter also may be turned to retract the slide 41 and the latch bolt 3'! against the action of the return spring 55.

The latch has incorporated therein a unit 55 by which the roll back may be dogged or locked against rotation by key controlled means. The key may be turned in the lock from the outside of the door to partially rotate a shaft centered within a square opening 56 in the hub of an eccentric 57 which turns within an opening 58 in a slide 55. This slide at its upper end terminates in a dog 65 adapted to be raised into abutting engagement with a lug SI on the roll back, thus preventing the bolt from being retracted by turning the outer door handle 53. It will be understood that when the eccentric is turned counter-clockwise from its position of Fig. 4 it will engage a wall of the recess 58 and raise the dog GD to locking position.

The bolt 31 may be locked against retraction through operation of either of the handles by means of a push and pull device at the inner side of the door. This device comprises a plunger 62 having a knob at its upper end, the plunger extending through a hole in the garnish molding at the inner side of the window glass of the door and pivotally connected at its lower end to a slide 63. This slide has a guide slot 64 receiving a stud 65 riveted to the case plate, and also a similar guide slot for the stud 48. The slide 63 has a dogging portion 66 adapted to be forced downwardly, by pushing down on the plunger, into position to abut a flange portion 51 on the bolt slide plate 4?, thus preventing the latter from being shifted to retract the bolt. The slide 63 may be yieldingly held in its up or down positions by a spring metal yolk 63 which has an embossed nib 59 adapted to engage in notches or depressions in the slide.

The doggingor locking slide 63 has an extension 63a below the locking dog 66, this extension in turn having a right angled extension 53b terminating adjacent the dog 60. As shown in Fig. 6, the terminal end of the extension 63b is bent out at 630 to overlap the dog till. Below the latter the slide 59 is pressed or stamped to provide a projecting lug l0 underlying the end 530 of the slide 63. Thus, when the key is turned in the lock to turn the eccentric 5'! and raise the dog 60 into locking position with respect to the roll back 54the lug IE! on slide 59 will engage the end 630 of the slide 63 and raise this slide, thereby elevating the dog 66 out of the path of the abutment 61 on the bolt slide plate 41. The

lower end of the extension 63a may, if desired,

he additionally guided by means of a guide slot ll through which extends a stud E2 on the case plate.

I claim:

1. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a frame structure, comprising a pair of members having bolt latching steps normally projecting into the path of the :olt and spaced apart in the direction of closing of the door, means for mounting said members for up and down movement relatively to the bolt and each member relatively to the other, spring means urging each striker member toward the bolt, and yieldable wedge means associated with the striker members and cooperable therewith to hold the door against vertical movement.

2. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a frame structure, comprising a pair of members having bolt latching steps normally projecting downwardly into the path of the bolt and spaced apart in the direction of closing of the door, means for mounting said members for up and down movement relatively to the bolt and each member relatively to the other, spring means urging each striker member downwardly toward the bolt, wedge means on the frame structure movable in the direction of closing of the door under the influence of a projecting guide member on the door, and spring means urging said wedge means in the opposite direction to tighten the bolt against one or the other of said members.

3. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a frame structure, comprising a pair of spring pressed keeper members spaced in the direction of closing of the swinging edge of the door and projecting downwardly into the path of the bolt, said members being mounted for up and down movement each relatively to the other, and wedge means yieldable in the direction of closing of the door under the influence of a guide member on the door, said guide member and bolt adapted to pass between said wedge means and keeper members.

4. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a frame structure, comprising a casing, and a pair of striker members slidable each relatively to the other on the casing in an up and down curvilinear path and each having a bolt latching step normally projecting into the path of the bolt.

5. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a fram structure, comprising a casing, and a pair of striker members independently slidable in the casing in an up and down curvilinear path and each having a bolt latching step normally projecting into the path of the bolt and spaced in the direction of closing of the door, and means for tightening said bolt against one of said steps and oii'set with respect to said step in the direction of closing of the door.

6. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a frame structure, comprising a casing having spaced upwardly extending curved walls, and striker members having curved edges slidingly bearing upon said walls.

'7. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a frame structure, comprising a casing, a pair of striker members slidable each relatively to the other on the casing g the door under the influence of a projecting guide member on the door, and spring means urging said wedge means in the opposite direction to tighten the bolt against one or the other of said members.

8. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt and in association with a swinging door hinged at one edge to a frame structure, comprising a pair of spring pressed keeper members spaced in the direction of closing of the swinging edge of the door and projecting downwardly into the path of the bolt, said members being mounted for up and down movement in correspondingly curvilinear paths each relatively to the other, and wedge means yieldable in the direction of closing of the door under the influence of a guide member on the door, said guide member and bolt adapted to pass between said wedge means and keeper members.

9. A striker assembly adapted to be mounted on a door frame for cooperation with a normally non-retractible latch bolt on a swinging door, comprising upper and lower casing portions, a pair of downwardly directed spring pressed striker members in the upper casing portion movable upwardly one at a time as the bolt passes between the casing portions, a wedge member in the lower casing portion adapted to be shifted in the direction of closing of the door by a member on the door located below and outwardly of the bolt, and spring means urging said wedge member in the opposite direction to tighten the bolt against a striker member.

10. A striker unit comprising a casing, a pair of independently slidable spring pressed striker members in the casing, each member having parallel curved edges, and means in the casing engageable with said edges for guiding said members in curved paths.

11. A striker device for use in cooperation with a latch bolt, comprising a casing, and a pair of striker members on the casing movable bodily each relatively to the other in an up and down path, at least one thereof movable in a curvilinear path and each having a bolt latching step normally projecting into position to engage the bolt.

JOHN H. ROETHEL. 

